Binder for fibrous materials



amt Nov. 26, 1940 uurrso *STATES BINDER FOR FIBROUS MATERIALS Robert 0. Williams and James F. Hall, Columbus;

Ohio, assignors to The Ironsit'ies Company, Columbus, Ohio, a corporation oi Ohio No Drawing.

Application February 24, 1937, Serial N0. 127,572

4 Claims. (Cl. 260-21) This invention relates to a novel film-forming composition having certain improved propertiesby which the same is rendered particularly useful as a binder in the fabrication of-fibrous mineral woolinsulation. An object of the invention resides in theprovision of an improved binder wherein the individual fibers comprising a body or bat of mineral wool insulation are positively yet resiliently united to preserve the desired form and shape of the bat, as well as to permit,

of its ready handling without loss of shape, thereby reducing losses and structural impairment incident to storage, transportation and installation operations. Certain of the commercially used binders or adhesive compositions now used on insulating woolsare characterized by the tendency thereof to become so brittle that normal handling of the wool in the form of bats results in the fracture of theunion between adjoining fibers and the binder, destroying or reducingthe resiliency of the bat and rendering the same, in proportion to the degree of fracture, less eflicient as an insulating medium. Other binders are so adhesive or tacky in nature that when the bats of mineral wool treated therewith are compressed during packaging, thefibers tend to become matted together in such close compact order that the desired resiliency of the bat is often destroyed.

Furthermore, theuse of such heavy viscous binders increases the density of the bat and correspondingly minimizes its thermal insulating value.

Other binders act as lubricants on the wool fibers causing the flbers'to soften so that their 35 normal rigidity or stiffness is reduced or lost, thereby rendering handling and installation more diflicult, due to the tendency oLthe bat to disintegrate. Conventional binding materials, such as starch solutions, sodium silicate solutions and 4n the like are not water resistant, and consequently bats of wool treated with such solutions and exposed to the weather readily tend to disintegrate and absorb moisture. p

In accordance with the present invention, we

45 have produced an improved binder or adhesive composition for wool fiber wherein the objectionable properties above noted, among others, present in many of the commercially used binders, are eliminated or reduced and a product provided which generally improves the structural characteristics of mineral wool when the latter .is prepared for practical use as thermal insulation.

Our improved composition is composed of 'pe-' 55 troleum polymers of the type obtained from the 1 the manufacture of treatment of vapor-phase cracked gasolines in the, removal of gum-forming bodies therefrom, rosin such as wood or gum'rosin-fand resinates such as calcium or zinc resi'nate. The composition composed of these ingredients may be applied as a solution, in which case-it may be dissolved in the petroleum or aromatic solvent, or. it may be emulsified in water with the latter in the continuouslphase.

Hydrocarbon polymer my improved com are of the type usually obtained from unsaturated hydrocarbon compounds produced as residues from gasolines or motor fuels obtained from high temperature operations. For example, in 15 such operations, it iscustomary topass gasoil fractions in a vaporous state through a heated conversion zone wherein the vaporized hydrocarbons are subjected to conversion temperatures ranging between afterwards fractionated, condensed and collected to obtain a condensate having the. boiling range of gasoline, which condensate is composed largely of unsaturated compounds... v

Certain of these compounds, notably the diolefines, are highly reactive and readily combine with oxygen to produce higher boiling compounds known generally by the terms gums or polymers. To remove these gums or polymers and s .of the type useful in 10 to accelerate their formation to such condensates!) the cracked hydrocarbons are preferably passed in a vaporized condition into contact with cataly'tic orabsorptive materials such as fullers earth, bentonite, infusorial earths and other analogous substances. These substances apparently exercise a catalytic action on the more reactive unsaturatedoompounds and'produce polymerizing reactions whereby these polymerized compounds, termed polymers, may be removed through difference in specific gravity from the 40 lower boiling fractions comprising the desired motor fuel condensate or distillate. These gums or polymers, produced by passing vaporized unv saturated hydrocarbons of gasoline boiling range through fullers earth, possess a higher boiling range-than the original condensate or distillate from which they were formed, thus, indicating the polymerization promoting character of the catalytic or absorptive-materials used in accelerating their formation. The removal of these gums or polymers from the gasoline distillate renders the latter suitable for various commercial uses.

Treating operations; for cracked motor fuel dis tillate of the character set forth result in the position 1000" F. and 1250 F. and are 20 formation of considerable quantities of these tion of unrefined vapor phase cracked gasoline in the manner previously set forth will have substantially the following properties:

These polymers resulting from .the polymeriza- In the above, the rosin and stearic acid content are heated together, and the-mixture cooled to approximately 200 F., at which time there is introduced into the heated materials, the water,

Liquid Solid 10-11 A. P. I....- grav. 1.0234029. min 210 F. min e ting pt.170/l90 F. min 280 1!. min F gig-ill) 210? F-.

s ro: eg 333 w a x approx approx. Percentsolids.. 35 52; 80-85 l Miscible in all proportions with petro- Soluble in coal tar solieum solvents. vents.

limiting the scope thereof, the following examples are given disclosing the use of reduced hydrocarbon polymers of the character above set 30 forth, in mineral wooladhesives or binders. By

the expression, "reduced hydrocarbon polymers,"

it will be understood that we refer to polymers obtained substantially by the processabove outlined and heated or filtered to liberate therefrom 35 low-boiling constituents, leaving as polymers a thick viscous resinousmaterial of high boiling range.

Exmrnr: l.-Solvent types I V Parts pwood or gum rosin -25 Hydratedllme 3 Reduced polymers 30 Naphtha or other petroleum solvent 42 4,5 In, mixing these materials, the resin is gradually heated to a temperature of approximately 500 F., thehydrated lime being sifted into the same during the heatingthereof. The heating operation is then discontinued and the rosin allowed to cool to a temperature of the order of 200 F., at which time the hydrocarbon polymers and naphtha are added.-

Solvent when lime is smears in Example '2, the

'resin needs merely to be heated to a melting I temperature, The preparations as defined may 'also be reduced to anemulsified state if desired. -As typical of our improved preparation in an 75 emulsified form, 'the following example is given;

is illustrative of the invention and without polymers and ammonia. In the above examples,

Exsmrnn i.,E1'nul. -ion type a v I Parts Wood or gum" rosin 20 Polymers 20 Stearic a i I o 3 Aqua ammonia (commercial concentration I 26 B.) 4 Water 53 abietic acid may be substituted for the wood or.

gum rosin and/or stearic acid, and in lieu of ammonia, other volatilizable alkaline agents may be employed, such as methylamine or ethylamine. Any suitable method may be used for applying the composition to the fibers of mineral wool, usually by means of'spraying operations. After application of the binder and (upon evaporation of the solvent or water content thereof, theresulting film deposited on the fibers or other particles becomes progressively harder as the drying I of the polymers proceeds. In addition to its use in connection with'siliceous wools, our improved binding composition may also be employed on such materials as granulated cork, cellulose plant fibers, and also slag fibers.

The composition air driesquite rapidly, since Y reduced hydrocarbon polymers have a more rapid drying rate than linseedjoil. The low boil ing liquid in which the resinate-polymer mixture is embodied at time of application to the fibers,

evaporates first, leaving the 'said' reslnatefibers so that the latter may be readily shaped, pressed or packaged into abody or bat of"pre-', determined formation. -However, the nature ofv this residual adhesive coating is such that the wool fiber treated therewith does not' reach a brittle state of hardness, in order that the de-' sired resiliency of the bat will be retained permanently.

polymer mixture as an'adhesive coating on the Where the emulsion type is desired foricertain 1 applications, the "film-forming ingredients may be emulsified in water, as indicated in Example j, 4. Where the filmforming ingredients melt at high temperatures, minor proportions of solvent may be required with the solid 'lmreactive (with ammonia) ingredients to fapilitate. emulsiflca tion. H 1

Whatisclaimed is:

1. An air-drying adhesive composition for binding mineral wool comprising per hundred parts of the total composition from 15 to ,30 parts of hydrocarbon polymers of. mineral origin resulting from the polymerization of unrefined vapor-phase crackedv gasoline, from 15 to 47 parts of a rosin component, and a removable solvent.

2. An air-drying adhesive composition for binding mineral wool comprising per hundredv binding mineral wool comprising per hundred parts of the total composition'from 15 to 30 parts of hydrocarbon polymers of mineral origin re-- sulting from. the polymerization of unrefined vapor phase cracked gasoline, from 15 to 47 parts of rosin fluxed with lime, and a removable hydrocarbon solvent.

4. An' air-drying adhesive composition for binding mineral wool comprising per hundred parts of the total composition from-15 to 30 5 parts of hydrocarbon polymers of mineral origin resulting from the polymerization of unrefined vapor phase cracked gasoline, from 15 to 47- parts of rosin fiuxed with a higher fatty acid,

a volatile alkaline agent, and a removable aqueous solvent.

ROBERT C. WILLIAMS. JAMES F. HALL. 

